Air moistener



Aug. 21, 1923. L@

J. G. PATE AIR MOISTENER l Filed Aug. '7, ).922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 2l, 1923.

y EFE@ JAMES G. PATE, OF DI-LLSBOR, INDIANA. 'Y

.ein Mois'rnivnn. Y

Application le. August 7, 152.2. Serial N'o. 580,383.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES G. PATE, a resi-` y dent of Dillsboro, in the county of Dearborn and State of Indiana, a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful L improvements in Air Moisteners, of. which the following isa specication.

rIfhis invention is an attachment for internal 'combustion engines by the luse of which moisture will be supplied to the 'fuel charge in order that the vapor-ization ofthe charge will be more complete than heretofore 1 and the deposit of carbon will to a greatextentbe overcomewith the result thattlie engine may be more economically and efficiently operated. The invention Vis illustrated in the accompanying drawings Vand will be hereinafter fully describech'the novel features being particularly pointed out in the appended claims. f

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the manifolds of an' engine and the carbureter showing my improved htunidifying device in connection therewith.

Figure2is an enlarged vertical section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 isa section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2..

Thejintalre manifold 1, the exhaust inanifold 2,'and` the carbureter' 3 may be of any approved or well-known form.A In carrying` out my invention, I employ a `bowl-like casing i forming a watercharnber in the top of whichis fitted a 'cover 5 having a central depending nozzle 6 'fitted in a central' opening inthe bottom oflthe bowl, suitable packiii 7 being provided to prevent leakage. y drain cock 8 is -also provided in the bottom of the'bowl inorder to facilitate cleaning or repairing when necessary. Across they cover extends an airI pipe or tube 9, interrupted interiorly by a diaphragm or baffle 10 extending across the upper vportion .of its inlet passage 1l. At the innerside of the baffle 10, theair tube is constructed With an internal annular 'shoulder 12 upon which rests the edge of a mixing ring 13, the outlet passage 14; leading from a point directly above said ring as clearly shown. A pipe or tube 15 connects the outlet passage 14e with the air inlet port of the Acarbureter. ,Around the bowlrt is placed a b and or strap 1G, the ends of which are secured to the clamping brackets 17 which hold the intake manifold to themengine block, the device'being thus secured in such position that 'it will be kept at a high temperature, by the heat radiated from therexhaust, manifold. l

Alined axially with the mixing ring 113,' a mixing tube 18 yis secured in the nozzle 6' lin concentric'spac'ed relation to the fnoz'zle.

This mixing tube has an annularly enlarged head y19seating closely in the upper end of the' nozzle and having an inletvjet opening 20 formed throughits' side at an angle to its radius, the -topA of the head lbeingclosed except for a central opening 21 which forms a yseatfor a needle valve 22. The saidrneedlje valve isthreaded through a cap 23 Von the top of the air tube 9 and controls the kiiow of steam or vapor through the opening4 oi port 21. Through the lower portions ofthe nozzle 6 and the tubeV 18 are'` ports 24and 25 which establish communication between 27 extending through the edge of the cover V5 and opening into the water chamber; f i

, A tank or vreservoir 28 for a water supply v is mounted on any convenient support, as for instance,the dashof a motor vehicle, and a pipe or conduit 29' leadsv from Athe tank into a receiving chamber 30 formed on Athev rear side of the air tube- 9. A portV 31 lin the bottom of the chamber 8O leads into a valve chamber 82 formed in the rear w-all ofthe tube9 immediately below the'chamiber 3G. A plunger valve 33 is provided in the valve chamber 32 and projects through the bott-omi of the valve chamber to rest vupon a lifter 351; extending from a rock shaft 35 mounted inthe upper portionof the wa.- -y

the hot spent gases pass -ou't through the exhaust manifold which quickly acquires a high temperature and radiates' heat which plays directly upon the bowl or water chain'- ber l and theparts carried thereby. The bowl and the'ivatertherein are/thus raised 4 in tei perature so that the water is converted into steam 'or vapor. rlhe suction through the carburet'er creates .a suction through the air'tube 9, drawing hot air'into' and through `the same and the' 'pipe 15 to the carburet'er.

A small jet of air is also drawn in through the passage 27 to flow through the openings 26 and 20, the approximately tangential disposition of the opening 2O causing the jet of air to whirl within the head 19 of the mixing' tube. lt will be noted that the lower end of the mixing ring 18 is .below the lower wall of the inlet passage 11 and close Vto the head 19, thering being spaced Afrom the surrounding wallexcept where its outturned ioverhangmg` upper edge rests upon f the shoulder 12. Consequently, the la-rge inflowing current ofl hot airis caused to turn downward around the mixing ring and pass under the lower end' thereof before rising` through it. A strong suctionv through the ring is .thus set. up andsteam or vapor is drawn rthrough the port 21 to pass through therring and commingle with the air, passing with thesame through the pipe 15 to the carburetor where i't is mixed with the fuel iowing to the intake manifold. rl'he combustion chambers of the engine are consequently supplied with a hot moist explosive mixture, materially aiding combustion and -economizing in the amount of fuel oil required t0 obtain the maximum efliciency of the engine.v By the use of attachment,

,the deposit of ca rbon isminimized, inas- Vmuch as the carbon particles are moistened late the quantity of vapor supplied vto they engineV according to atmospheric conditions, the quality of the fuel, or other controlling circumstancest.v Should it be necessary to obtain access to the bowl or water chamber `for any reason, removal of the nut on the lower endA of the nozzle 6 will permit the bowl to be slipped downwardly from the nozzle, the Heat and the valve 33, of course, being withdrawn with the'bowl; Should 1tbe necessary, for any reason, to obtain access to the mixing chamber, it is necessary Vmerely to remove the cap 23 whereupon the *mixing ring and the mixing tube may be .easily withdrawn ithrough Lthe top ofthe air tubey 9, It will be particularly noted that the air jet entering the head of the vmixing tube sets up a whirling action in the Vrising wa'tery vapor so that an initial .aeration of the vapor is effectually aceomplished. The aerated Vvapor is taken up by the ,air passingover the head of the mixing tube and into the lower endl of the mixing ring where'the aeration of the vapor is increased. As Lthis larger current of air is drawn into the air tube alongside the ex- Y haust manifold, it will have a high temperature and, consequently, will vaporize any unvaporized globules of water it may encounter and will impart tothe vapor aldegree of heat which will resist the tendency to condensation. y t Having thus described my invention, what l ,claimY as new .and desire to secure by United States rLetters Patentisfzf- 1. ln a device forsupplying water vapor to acarbureter, the combinationof awater chamber, a mixing tube inncommunication with the water chamber., a mixing ringin axial .alinement `with theA mixing tube, a pipe leading frcmsaid ring to theair inlet of a carbureter, andmeans for admitting a current of hot air between then mixing tube and mixing ring and into the mixing ring.

Y2. lnfa device .Y for thefpurpose set forth, the .combination-,of a water chamber, a Vmix-V ing tube in communication therewith, means for supplying a jet of air to the tube along a Vchord of the same, .a mixing ring in axial alinemeut with the tube and spacedltherefrom,r and means for directing a streamof r a iet air thi-ough the space between the tube and the ring and into .and through the ring.

3. ln a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of alwater chamber, floatcontrol'led means for admitting water therev to, amixing tube within-'the chamberand in communication therewith, Vmeansfor supplying a jet of airto the-mixing tube, .a mixing ring;` disposed abovey and in. axial beingv closed to thering, and means for directing .a .current kof hotair into the ring across thev end of the tube. Y f

alinenient with the tube, the water chamber 4. Ina Vdevice forthe purposesetforth,

the Y con'ibination of Va water chamber, a .cover therefor, an airltube extending across the cover, .a water inlet on the cover, valve controlling the water inlet` a float.y 'within the, water chambercontrolling saidfvalvc` and means withinV the air Vtube whereby a current of air flowing therethrough Vwill draw vapor from the water. chamber `and aerate the same. n Y 1 c y f v5. ln -a device for the purpose setA forth, the combination of a water chamber,V a'mixing tube in communication with said'chamber, a mixing ring axial alineme'nt with the mixing tube, means for directing a current of lietair across the end; of the mix.Y

ing'tube into and through the "mixing ring, V

and means for regulating the ow from the mixing tube, Y i

6. ln a device p for the the purpose set forth, the combination of a'water chamber,

a YcoverV therefor, any Vair Atube extending across the cover and havinga mixing 'chamber, a `mixing ring supported at its upper end upon the Wall of said chamber and disposed below its ,upper end in spaced concentric relation to the chamber, a bathe across the inlet end of the air tube Whereby air admitted to the tube will be directed around the ring and into the lovver end thereof, and a mixing tube carried by the lower end of the mixing `chamber and establishing 'communication between the same and the Water chamber.

7. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination oi a water chamber, a cover therefor, an air tube extending across the cover, a mixingchainber Within said tube', a mixing ring supported on the Wall of said chamber with its portion beloiv its' upper end in spaced concentric relation to saidV Wall, the chamber having an outlet in one side above the mixing ring and an inlet in its opposite side belovvitheupper end of the mixing ring, a mixing tube carried by theloiver end of the mixing chamber in axial alinement with the mixing ring and estab-V lishing communication between the saine and the Water chamber, and means for admitting a jet oi air to the mixing tube.

8. In a device for the purpose set Vforth, the combination of a Water chamber, a cover therefor, a nozzle depending from said cover and secured in the bottom of the Water chamber, an air' tube extending across `the cover and containing a mixing chamber directly over said nozzle, a cap closing the top of the mixing chamber. a mixingring Within t-he mixing'chamber having its opposite ends open to the inlet and outlet respectively of the same, and a mixing tube supported Within the nozzle, the nozzle and said tube being in communication with the Water chamber and the mixing tube and mixing ring being removable through the topY jacent the exhaust manifold, a pipe con-A necting the outlet end oit' said tube with the air inlet of the carbureter, and means Within the bovvl and the air tubewhereby vapor Will be drawn from the bowl and aerated for delivery to the carbureter. y

.In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

.iA-Mns e'. PATE. 

